The present application relates to digital media rental and return kiosks, and is particularly directed to a digital media rental and return kiosk having a three-position lockable gate mechanism and methods of operating a digital media rental and return kiosk, such as a digital video disc (“DVD”) rental and return kiosk.
A typical DVD rental and return kiosk includes a gate which is movable between a closed position and an opened position as a customer interacts with the DVD kiosk to either rent a DVD or return a DVD. The gate blocks a slot through which either a DVD to be rented can be dispensed to the customer or a DVD to be returned by the customer can inserted. When the customer rents a DVD, the gate moves from the closed position to the opened position to unblock the slot through which the DVD to be rented can be dispensed to customer. The gate then moves back to the closed position. Similarly, when the customer returns a DVD, the gate moves from the closed position to the opened position to unblock the slot through which the DVD to be returned can be inserted by the customer. The gate then moves back to the closed position.
A drawback in known DVD rental and return kiosks is that some customers with multiple DVDs to be returned will try to insert more than one DVD at a time into the slot in hopes of more quickly returning the DVDs. Certain of these customers may even try to force multiple DVDs into the slot and thereby causing a jam in the slot. When the slot becomes jammed, a service call by field service personnel is usually required to clear the jam condition. It would be desirable to provide a DVD kiosk in which service calls to clear such jam conditions are reduced.